Christians in Communist Ruled Countries

Pope Francis, in remarks clearly intended for communist-ruled countries such as China, North Korea and Vietnam, said on Sunday that Asian governments should not fear Christians as they did not want to “come as conquerors” but be integral parts of local cultures.

Francis made his comments, some of them unscripted, in an address to about 70 bishops from 35 Asian countries gathered in the town of Haeme, south of Seoul, on the next-to-last day of his trip to South Korea.

He told them the Church was committed to dialogue with everyone, saying: “In this spirit of openness to others, I earnestly hope that those countries of your continent with whom the Holy See does not yet enjoy a full relationship, may not hesitate to further a dialogue for the benefit of all.”

Francis then added, in unscripted remarks, that he was talking of “not just political dialogue but also fraternal”. He added that “Christians do not come as conquerors” who erase national and cultural identities but wanted to “walk together”.